How to Grow the Biggest Bean Plant

Choose a location for your biggest bean plant which is in full sun, and where potatoes, tomatoes, beans or peas, cabbage or brussels sprouts were not grown in the previous two years. Ideally select a location where corn or grass was grown the prior year, but also located under a point where garden twine can be attached to a location 12 feet high or higher.

Pull all weeds or other growth from the location. Dig the soil to a depth of twelve inches with the shovel. Mix a substantial amount of well-aged compost into the soil.

Rake the soil and compost mix into a large, gentle mount about 8 inches high. Water the mound thoroughly.

Cut lengths of heavy garden twine to reach between your high fixing point and the ground, plus 1 foot extra per length, using utility scissors. Attach one end of each of the lengths of twine to your high fixing point, exercising caution when working at a height.

Tie lower end of each length of twine to a metal tent stake. Insert the stakes in the mound of soil about 1 foot apart.

Lay black plastic garbage bags flat on the ground around the twine and stakes two weeks before the average last frost date for your area.

Pull black plastic garbage bags several inches back from twine and stakes one week after average last frost date for your area. Plant beans by poking them 2 inches into the soil with your finger, keeping the small 'eye' of the bean, located in the saddle-shaped dip in the seed, upwards. Pull the soil back over the beans with your hands. Plant four beans equally spaced around each stake, about 3 inches away from the stake.

Water daily until the bean plants emerge. Remove the garbage bags and mulch with a 6-inch layer of straw mulch when the plants' first true leaves emerge.

Water every three days, or more often to keep the soil uniformly moist as the growing season progresses. Include a solution of liquid fish emulsion fertilizer in every third watering. Hand-weed around the base of plants if necessary.

Remove flowers as they appear if your goal is a world's record-setting bean plant height. Pick beans as the reach the pencil-sized stage if you intend to eat green beans from your big bean plant, or let the pods grow to maturity and harvest when dry for soup beans. Save dried beans from your tallest plants for next year's biggest-bean planting.